I was born in Portland during better times for the city and since then I have been a cook, a caretaker for family and after my nerve damage hit from a version of rapid onset beriberi. Luckily, my neurologist was able to figure it out and work on a plan to establishing a plan to stop the damage before it gets worse.
Since then I had lost my job, become homeless, slept on the street, got off the street by taking a part time job and working with vocational rehab to get into college. When I was on the street I found the programs had been claiming a massive amount of funds and resources but could not do the job and saw the failings of the system from street level. I worked with TriMet lift taking reservations and in school my disability didn’t hold me back becoming an honor society President and a school senator for PCC. Fighting for disability made me realize there are many others in the same situation and after fighting for my own SSI/SSDI allowed me to pivot into being an advocate for the disabled college students. At Portland State, I was the chair for student legal services advisory board. I have also been active for disability services boards from nearly everything up to state level. I have spent my time trying to make this city better.
Being a former cook had gotten me to see how the restaurants and businesses are needing help as well, because if we cannot build business we cannot build a city and right now a lot of businesses are hurting and the constant empty business spaces in the downtown only show how much the city is hurting. It is difficult to invest here, it is difficult to build business here, and instead of doing so here people are leaving to do it in places that are better for them.
After being on more then 40 different groups from when I started my education for bachelor’s in both Business and Economics. I have helped the colleges, the students, the county, the state and the city and now its time to work on getting Portland through one of our hardest times.
When Portland does well the state follows and my goal is to make sure of that focusing on the problems like homelessness, avenues for business growth, and make Portland the place where people can make their own futures again. I am not a glamorous man and will not spend the time our current council does on shows for people without getting anything done.
T.J. Anderson for District 4 